(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for producing and/or assembling a bearing with a bearing bore, a journal which is located in the bearing bore and at least two bearing shells which at least partially encompass the journal in the bearing bore, there being a number n of bearing classes with different tolerance. The invention furthermore relates to a bearing.
(2) Description of Related Art
Methods for producing and/or assembling a bearing are known from the prior art. Conventionally, shafts or journals are supported in bearing bores in which furthermore bearing shells are located. They provide, for example, for improved sliding of the shaft or of the journal in the bearing bore. Due to tolerances in the production of the bore, the journal and the bearing shells which add up in the assembly of the elements, dispersion of the so-called bearing play arises. The bearing play designates the difference between the diameter of the bearing bore minus the thickness of the bearing shells and the diameter of the journal. The bearing play must remain within mechanical limits in order to enable on the one hand proper sliding of the journal in the bearing bore and on the other hand to avoid excessive bearing play which could result in the journal being deflected. If the bearing play is excessive, impact excitations can occur which are acoustically adverse. For these reasons the bearing play must be greater than a minimum limit, but should be as small as possible to the top. It follows that the bearing play should have as little dispersion as possible. It is known, to classify the individual elements of the bearing, i.e., the bearing bore, journal and bearing shells in order to assign them each to a certain tolerance range. Depending on the classification, the elements are provided with color markings. If without classification the bearing play is in the range of 0.026 mm to 0.074 mm, the bearing play can be reduced to a range from 0.026 mm to 0.044 mm by using the method, in which classes of the housing and of the journal are connected by way of a matrix to classes of bearing shells.
EP 0 909 899 B1 describes a method for assembly of a slide bearing. Here values for a minimum play limit, a maximum play limit and values for measurement uncertainties are defined. After determining the actual measurements of prefabricated shafts, the deviation from an average bearing play which occurs in the pairing of the bearing bore with the shaft is determined. Then bearing shells are assigned such that the bearing play lies in a value range which exceeds the minimum play limit at least by the value of measurement uncertainty, but is below the maximum play limit. This method is, however, relatively complex in application.